SOLD

Walter Crane
1890's

Renaissance Revival designed tea cosy, for the Royal School of Art Needlework, one side with full height C scrolls with cornucopia filled with fruits at the top, with exotic mythical birds standing on braches of the scroll trying to eat the fruit, the lower section with mythical dolphin, the other side with two confronting mythical birds flanking a stand filled with leaves, its base with mythical faces, all the background worked in thickapple green silks, the shapes left to show the natural linen ground, edged with twisted silk braid and with three loops to the base at either side,the thick down filled lining of eau de nil sateen cotton.

Comments

It is very very rare to find work designed by Walter Crane. Wonderful design. Attractive colouring. In the Royal School of Needlework's The Handbook of Embroidery by Letitia Higgin 1880, teacosies are listed among the finished work sold by the school. Prices started at 16s 6d. My thanks to Lynn Hulse , archivist RSN for providing this information.

Condition

The exterior is excellent. The cotton sateen wadded lining has faded, the colour in the centre is deep apple green, the section which shows has faded to a lighter colour. In fact if you do not look up into the centre you would not realise that it had faded.